The Will of Ra
by Shishi-ya-no-Shyuu
Summary: Five millennia ago, Prince Atemu lived in Egypt. One day, the Priestess Ishizu prophesizes the young Prince's future with his childhood friend. She plastered a grin upon her face. What she saw frightened her. The future has yet to be determined. (CH. 2)
1. Prologue: Prophecy

Daylight played over the aqua stained sky, enriching the sand with an ungodly heat. Although it might have seemed as though no creature or being to live through such drought-threatening conditions, the inhabitants of Egypt had no problem with it. Tanned skinned, dressed down to the lowest key of ponchos and rags, villagers milled about a full market, ready with the day's pickings of fresh fruit, vegetables and trinkets, not to mention those of pick-pockets. This was one of many towns centered around the Palace of the Pharaoh, blessed with a son of seven years, little Prince Atemu.

Wandering freely through the outer courtyard, Prince Atemu, however young he was to understand how most people felt, knew that he was bored. His leather sandals scuffed idly at a pebble, missing the first few tries until successfully hitting it a few feet away. A sigh escaped his lips unintentionally. He didn't mean to be such a hard case with his father when it came to manners, but quite frankly, there wasn't much to do when your Prince of Egypt and forbade from leaving the palace grounds unless accompanied by at least six or seven bodyguards. He finally sank into the dull feeling of nothing to do and fell back onto his butt on the sand. It only then occurred to him just how hot it was out in midday, which relaxed him into a fleeting comfort. His eyes played battle for a time until they were about ready to end in a shut eye stalemate...

"HEEEEY!! ATEMU!!! What are you doing?!" a shrill voice quickly knocked him back into reality. He chuckled silently to himself and craned his neck back to gaze behind him.

"Ah, hello Nef," he played in return, smiling to the girl above him on the courtyard steps.

Neferketi, a girl no more his age stood in a scolding posture, hands on her hips, her feet apart, and her head cocked to one side. Her attire was that of a couple layers of gold and silver laced tunics and dresses. Around her neck a gold-plated necklace covered her lower collar, as did a few bracelets dangle loosely from her wrists. Warm chocolate eyes gazed at the boy with a playful look of scorn. She took a booted step forward.

"How many times do I have to tell you, that's not my name!" a small childish growl came in response as she hopped the steps down to the ground, reddish-golden hair tied behind her head bobbing, sand spewing up over her feet on her landing.

Atemu, in turn, did the gentlemanly thing and aided her dramatic landing with a swift blow of breath, sending clouds of the desert dust crawling over the girl's formal dress-wear. This left the once pearly white clothing of shining silver to the image of a poor child just uncovered in a sand storm.

She gasped at his action, flinching back with a squeak, "Waiii! I love it, thanks for booting that prissy-ness out of me! I dun' wanna be lady-like yet!"

In the end, both were laughing, Neferketi having gotten back at the boy by piling handfuls of sand on his head, then proceeding to stick a twig in his messy hair and calling it "Palace Atemu".

Soon though, both were called inside, their answers being suppressed whimpers and moans of disapproval with every step they took back inside the much cooler palace.

Inside, the two friends were seated at a small round table, covered by a blood red tablecloth, in the center a glossy crystal ball sparkled on its mini pedestal. Moments later, a tall woman with the everyday tan complexion and long black hair entered the room. Her hanging garments of capes and veils fluttered behind her steps as she stopped next to them, smiling down at her future pharaoh and his childhood friend. Jaded green eyes gazed across the table, more directly to the crystal ball set between them. Pulling out the last chair at the table, she too, sat down. She glanced at the two of them with warm greeting in her gaze.

"Good afternoon, Prince Atemu, Neferketi. I hope that your day has been well," she spoke crisply, breaking any silence that had filled the room as far. The children, having been used to the teachings of their guardians about giving respective beings the attention they deserve, stared blankly at her.

Atemu sighed in pure boredom, having forgotten half the rules of manners on purpose, before he was immediately elbowed in the side by the young girl next to him, shooting him a warning glare. She of course, was answered back in the same terms.

"Yes, thank you Miss Ishizu," Neferketi giggled in a false manner, rubbing her side gingerly.

"I have come to give you two your yearly prophetic insight, be it past, present or future. Mind you, make it at least somewhat important, unlike last time," Ishizu sent a disapproving gaze towards the young Pharaoh at this point, the boy drawing back and flushing in the cheeks.

"Yea, Atemu! Since when does someone ask if their pet cactus made it safely to the Afterlife?!" Neferketi cackled, both in amusement and in irritation. To emphasize the moment hilarity, the girl stood on her seat, pointing at him. The year that followed was a complete waste of karma after that brainless question. Of course, bringing back the memory of it made him blush even more.

"S-so?! Then _you _ask the question if your so smart!" at this point, the Prince was already seeking refuge under the table cloth, hoping to hide from his own embarrassment. Neferketi snorted in response, crossing her arms dignifiedly, pursing her lips and scowling down at him.

"Fine! I will!" her attention quickly drew to the Priestess next to her, a minute of silence following while she thought of a reasonable question. Soon enough, though, her screwed up expression was replaced by a look of successful conquest, she beamed at Ishizu.

"Okay, tell us something about our future! What will we be doing, the both of us, a while from now?" Neferketi smirked down at Atemu, who was crossing his arms and glaring ahead in annoyance. She really had thought of a good question!

Ishizu in turn, nodded. "Hm, a while from now... "A while" as in years? Alright..."

The older woman then closed her eyes, the rest of the room enveloping in silence as she did so, whether it be for effect or because neither children knew what to talk about at that given time. They watched her as her fingers touched together above the table, the shape of the connected fingers forming a crude triangle, and her Millennium Necklace followed its keeper's command. Within seconds, the table was shrouded in the ancient light of the Millennium Necklace, a hollow humming vibrating the air. The two children only gazed on, staring wide eyed at the mini light show in front of them; a shimmering, golden light show they only saw once a year. The keeper of the item's eyes twitched, as if trying to keep hold on what she was seeing. Truthfully, the children were skeptical of her prophetic abilities, wondering more if she over dramatized the event or if the item was simply too much for Ishizu to handle. As they thought about it, the glimmer of the necklace flickered, eventually snuffing itself out like a flame dimming away at the bottom of a melted candle. They smiled as Ishizu's eyes slowly opened to the real world around her, knowing that she had finished. The two leaned forward, anticipation clear in their eyes.

"Well? What did you see? Huh? Huh?!" two children chattered in unison, tripping over each other's words, trying to get their sentence in before the other. Their ecstatic smiles could've lit up the countryside in their eagerness. Ishizu held up a ring worn hand, silencing them almost instantly, although a smile still remained on her lips.

"What I saw was something very interesting. Very well awaited and also pleasing...however..." she trailed off with sudden apprehension, her eyes falling to a crack on the floor. Something she had also seen had thoroughly disturbed her, but her gaze quickly snapped back to the children, lightly shaking her head, her smile returning to her façade, "No, I will not spoil your question with further detail, so I will tell you what you, Neferketi, wished to know."

Neferketi and Atemu, even though they had seen the Priestess's actions, did not question her hesitation, instead shaking their heads in quick agreement. If the news she had seen was bad, neither of them wanted to hear it.

"Well, I saw something, as I said of the greatest happiness. In the future, you two will gain a great friend. You and the Prince shall also be wed!" She placed a simple grin on her face, drowning out any last traces of fear on her face.

Atemu gasped, staring at the woman.

Neferketi, on the other hand, seemed thoroughly unimpressed. She fell back into her seat, crossing her arms.

"That's it?! Everybody knows that, that fact was a given!! It's good to hear we're going to meet someone that we'll like later on, but come on! Next time, tell us something we don't know!" suddenly shouting and leaping from her seat, Neferketi tugged on Atemu's arm before running out of the room. The boy, understanding the action, quickly followed suit.

Only after the doors to the inner chambers had been shut did he cast a wondering eye back in the direction they had come.

_What was it that she saw? She seemed so...frightened. Does it have something to do with us and everyone we might know in the future? Hmm..._

"Atemu!! Hurry up! Let's go back outside and play before the sun goes down!!" Neferketi yelled from the doors leading into the warm afternoon sun, waving a tan arm exaggeratingly over her head. Atemu's thoughts were wrenched back into the bowels of his mind, throwing in speculation and instantly smiled back at her. He took a few steps forward before darting into a run.

_Oh well. Whatever it was, the future can wait._


	2. Servant

**Chapter 1: Servant**

"Hey! Hellllloooooooooo! Wake up, smart guy! We're supposed to be looking almighty and dignified, remember? No sleeping unless I can too!" A shrill voice squawked in his ear.

Atemu awoke with a start. He could've sworn he had only rested his chin on a palm leaning on the armrest of his throne and closed his eyes for only a moment. He opened an eye to look sidelong to his newlywed bride, his childhood friend Neferketi, in annoyance. An effortless sigh came in quick response as he lifted his heavy head from leaning to look her in the eye.

"I'm _bored._ All we've been doing all day is working, cleaning up the rooms and keeping everyone in order. Mahado is the only other one keeping this place in shape, and he has to travel out of palace grounds soon with Mana and Ishizu. What we need is more help," he muttered numbly to her, sending a glare along with his drawn out statement.

"You're just lazy," Neferketi sat back against her throne, arms folded back behind her head. She crossed her legs, her eyes following an imaginary fruit fly in equal irritation.

Atemu only continued to glare wearily at her. "No, I'm Pharaoh and I'm sick of doing all this work."

His bride quickly slumped forward and onto her knees at the statement, full of disappointed surprise. She shut her eyes, shaking her head ruefully. Her head rose, her solemn eyes meeting his.

"Atemu, what happened to us? We used to be such good friends… Now…" she trailed off, sadly remembering their childhood days. Laughing and playing in the desert sun, and now, ten years later, they had been married, just as Ishizu (and everyone else) knew they would. Her world of playful memories was now dashed by the steady decline of their relationship. Neither had been ready to be married, and they both knew it. Atemu slammed a clenched fist down upon the armrest of his throne, making her lurch back in surprise.

"That doesn't matter now! It's been four days since the wedding and there's no looking back! All we have now is the future! Our rule, our kingdom, our lives!" his head fell forward into his palms, grief-stricken and completely overwhelmed, "None of that matters anymore…"

Neferketi sighed, pushing herself out of her throne to stand, arms crossed. She turned away from him, hiding the distasteful glare that now lined her once bright eyes. What _had _happened to them, she wasn't sure. She slid her boot forward on the dusty slates of the floor, swinging her leg back to pivot towards Atemu. Her hands hooked behind her back as she leaned ahead, bowing to his sorrowful level.

"Maybe…it is time we got help…" the thought made the newly crowned Pharaoh raise his head up to the sound of her voice, locking burning purple eyes with her hopeful stare. His head bowed in silent agreement.

Without another word, he stood, both exiting the quiet, dullness of the throne.

* * *

"Okaaay! So, which incantation should we be looking for!" Neferketi sang from the bottom of a rusty old barrel. Her hands shuffled through stacks of books and scrolls, tossing them out of the said barrel when they began to reform the pile through the hole she had dug.

Across the way, the Pharaoh scrambled through the shelves of the library cases, shoving books out onto the floor in his frustration. His balance was supported upon a stool, one with a leg post shorter then the rest. It rocked warningly back and forth. They had both traveled hastily down to the Magician's cellar, breaking the padded lock and thrusting the doors open to descend below in hopes of summoning a good servant. Atemu craned his neck to glance down at her momentarily, before balance became an issue again.

"Something that we can control, say a fourteenth or fifteenth level spirit!" he echoed back, his voice hollow from sticking his head inside one of the deep levels of the bookshelf. There was the sound of a head hitting dry wood from below.

"Ow—_Fourteenth or fifteenth _level! ARE YOU _SERIOUS_! That's just about out of our league! What do you mean "something we can control"!" the teen below yelled in exasperation, lifting herself out of the barrel to successfully rub her bumped head.

Atemu chuckled at the girl's clumsiness as he pulled out another incantation book, quickly flipping through the pages and tossing it aside, finding nothing of interest.

"Hey, we're the rulers now! We can handle summoning a fourteenth level essence! It'll be a breeze, you'll see! Trust me." Confidence swelled from his answer, causing Neferketi to roll her eyes. Another book fell from the ceiling, landing with a snap next to her foot. She sent a look of annoyance down at the innocent flying book.

"Trust you, huh? The last time I trusted you, we ended up falling head first into the cesspool for the camels! You're horrible at directions! Why should I trust you this time!" she ranted with a shaky fist held in the air. Atemu's answer was fairly simple:

"Because I'm Pharaoh."

His bride gave a deadpan expression in return, even though his back was turned away from her, "You know, that answer is going to get _really _old, _really _quick…"

"But, it's a good answer."

"No it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

There was a sudden silence while the two stared at one another from their places in the room.

Then, the storm broke out.

"YEA IT IS!"

"NO, IT IS NOT!"

"IS SO!"

"IS NOT!"

"IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE THE BEST PHARAOH IN THE WORLD, AT LEAST _I _CAN WALK IN A STRAIT LINE WITHOUT FALLING INTO A CESSPOOL!"

"OH YEA! WELL, _I'VE _BEEN TAUGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT BEING PHARAOH AND YOU HAVENT!"

"SO WHAT! I COULD BE THE BEST RULER IN EGYPT AND I WOULD'NT HAVE TO BE TAUGHT A SINGLE THING!"

"YEA RIGHT!"

"I COULD SO!"

"NO YOU COULDN'T!"

"YES I COULD!"

"PROVE IT!"

Neferketi paused abruptly from their heated debate, gazing sternly at him. Currently, she had enough frustration and anger to break a horse's back. Her arms were crossed tightly across her chest. She took a deep breath, giving way to a light sigh.

"Fine, _Pharaoh_, I will." She cooed her words near to a hiss. The girl began forward, walking curiously close to the stool Atemu still stood upon and instantly…pushed it. Seconds later, a mountain of magic books were piled atop a text-beaten Pharaoh. A moan came from under the mound. Neferketi smiled in a scornful victory.

"See? That's what you get for being an ass, Atemu," she chirped happily, proceeding to snatch up a rather old and holey looking textbook, "Hey, what book is this?"

Atemu dug his way out of the horde of books, giving Neferketi a well-deserved glare before turning his attention to the age-worn book. His hand touched the binding of the cover, bits of cloth flaking off from the shift of movement. The book itself seemed as though it could collapse on its own pages from the look of it. The cover had stained into an ungodly brownish color from its once obvious yellow binding, the words barely legible in the dimness of the room. With a careful and steady hand, both teens slowly lifted the cover of the textbook and turned to the table of contents. Upon reading the first few words, they gasped in shock.

"Atemu! This is your Great-Great-Grandfather's summoning book!" Neferketi gawked in amazement. Atemu nodded in agreement, his expression equal to her own.

"He kept all his best summons recorded in this book, some generations before him!" he added, gazing through the timeline on the first page.

Their eyes met in recognition, both having thought the same thing at once. Smiles appeared on both their faces.

"This is perfect!" they cheered in unison.

Moments passed, the two flipped vigorously through the pages of the book, checking up on all fourteenth level spirits, none as of far, had caught their interest. Thankfully for them, the spirits were categorized both by their level and alphabetically, making their search all the more organized. They laughed and pointed when they found a queer name listed on the pages, while they shuddered at others that possessed names of the darker powers. They had passed through all names and levels eligible from A to O. Still, nothing clicked. Atemu pointed to one of the many names listed on the O page.

"How about Ophilious?" his tone became more and more dull with every name he spoke.

Neferketi shook her head rapidly, shoving his finger off the page, "No, too proper. Besides, he has a thumbs-down sign next to his name." she added with slight amusement, even though the sign rather confused her.

Their eyes scanned down the list in coming boredom.

"Osiris…?" they both stared at each other, fear clear in their eyes, "Aaaahh! No way!" the page was abruptly flipped over a good couple times, their query now listed in a short column of Q's. Atemu sighed, his mood completely flustered by the letter.

"Aw, geez, not this section! These letters are always rarely used," the boy grumbled, his finger playing with the corner of the page, ready to turn it. Quickly, a hand came down and slapped his own. He drew back in shock. "Ow! What was that for!" he hissed at the girl sitting next to him. She returned his question with a harsh glare.

"We gotta look through _all_ of the names! Besides, haven't you heard the letters that are least used in a name make an individual more unique? Let's just check it out real quick." Neferketi scowled, giving the Pharaoh a scolding look. Her gaze drew back down to the book, as did Atemu following skeptical suit.

Then the naming began once again.

"Qarrel?"

"No."

"Qazel?"

"Nu-uh"

"Queel?"

"Hm, seems notable, but no."

"Oh, I give up! What's the point of looking through this section? Let's just move on!"

Neferketi slapped Atemu's wavering hand once again, keeping him from turning the page, "Wait!"

Atemu rubbed his now pinking hand, "What!"

"What about this one?"

"Which one? Quack?"

"NO! _This _one."

Neferketi pointed down at a hand written name at the bottom of the page, seemingly scribbled on with ink at the last minute. Its name was almost unreadable if not for the fact that the pages had been well preserved and the name had been hidden under a fold in the paper. Atemu gazed down at the name, first raising an eyebrow as if the remark had been some joke, but the look in his wife's eyes seemed very serious, in fact it looked as though she had already decided upon the creature for summoning. A sigh escaped his lips, staring at the name for sometime, before the curiosity of the hand-written name got to him. At last, they both agreed upon summoning the spirit, however strange or horrible it may look and began the preparations for the proper summoning. Soon enough, sand-chalk and more books on how-to-summon were strewn about the floor, the spirits book still open to the page with the name on it. The inked on name seemed to glow with pride at its being chosen. And the name, as Neferketi said had been quite unique.

It was official. The name of their new servant from that day forward was:

Queezle.


End file.
